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North Notes: Lions, Ravens, Steelers

April 14th, 2014 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

Jadeveon Clowney won’t be working out for any more NFL teams prior to the draft, as we heard this morning from Peter King, but that doesn’t mean he’s done making visits. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Lions will be hosting Clowney for a visit soon. There’s obviously no chance the standout defensive end falls to Detroit at No. 10, so bringing in Clowney could be a further signal that the Lions are exploring moving up in the draft. The club has also been linked multiple times to wideout Sammy Watkins, who will almost certainly be off the board by No. 10 as well.

Here’s more on the Lions and a few other teams in the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Rapoport’s previously linked tweet also includes word that the Lions are meeting today with UNC tight end Eric Ebron.
  • Notre Dame tight end Troy Niklas, who visited the Bills earlier in the month, recently met with the Ravens, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson also tweets a couple more players who were in attendance at the Ravens’ local prospect day: Dexter McDougle (CB, Maryland) and Louis Young (CB, Georgia Tech).
  • TCU cornerback Jason Verrett, Arizona corner Shaquille Richardson and Oregon State defensive end Scott Crichton are visiting the Steelers today, tweets ESPN.com’s Scott Brown.
  • Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune takes a look at how the Vikings are spending their money by position, noting that the club is only among the top 10 NFL teams in spending at running back (first) and defensive end (ninth).
  • The Lions hosted Boston College linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis on a pre-draft visit last week, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). We heard on Friday that Pierre-Louis also visited the Steelers.

AFC Mailbag Roundup: Chiefs, Colts, Steelers

April 13th, 2014 at 1:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We took at a look at the most recent mailbag segments involving NFC teams, so let’s do the same for the AFC:

  • Though Johnny Manziel doesn’t figure to be around when the the Chiefs at No. 23, Teddy Bridgewater might be in for a draft-day fall. If he does slip, don’t be surprised if Kansas City pulls the trigger on the young quarterback, writes Terez A. Paylor of ESPN.com. The selection would make sense, as Alex Smith is entering the final year of his contact.
  • The oft-criticized Colts offensive line is still in flux, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Wells. Donald Thomas, returning from a torn ACL, is expected to man one guard spot, while Lance Louis and Hugh Thornton will battle for the other guard position. The most intriguing position may be center, where the team seems to want Khaled Holmes to beat out recent addition Phil Costa for the starting role.
  • Third-year Steelers safety Robert Golden could be the victim of a roster crunch, says Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Golden played only 51 snaps on defense last season, but excelled on special teams.
  • Though Kevin Boothe might be the better player, Khalif Barnes could be the favorite for the Raiders left guard position, writes Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. Boothe is set to be the backup center, and the need to keep him fresh for that role could mean Barnes will enter the starting lineup.
  • ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco doesn’t believe Jaguars will draft a quarterback with the third overall selection, but he does think QB is an option later in the draft. Zach Mettenberger and Jimmy Garoppolo seem to be among the Jags preferred choices.

AFC Notes: Mack, Pouncey, Chiefs, Pats, Jets

April 12th, 2014 at 10:37am CST by Matt Feminis

The Browns’ patient strategy with Alex Mack seems to have worked out for the best, opines Cleveland.com’s Terry Pluto, who says the new deal is “expensive, but not outrageous for one of the top centers in the NFL — and a player who has not missed a snap since being drafted…”

In other AFC notes…

  • Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey stands to benefit from Mack’s new contract, asserts the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette, who writes Pouncey can justify saying he should be the highest paid center in the NFL. Pouncey has one year remaining on his rookie deal, though contract negotiations have yet to commence, as the 24-year-old lost his 2013 season because of a torn ACL injury.
  • The Chiefs had a productive return game last season, but lost Dexter McCluster and Quintin Demps in free agency, meaning they’ll likely draft at least one player with kick return ability, writes ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher, who relays Mel Kiper’s suggestions for prospects who fit the profile.
  • The Patriots graded out well in free agency, in the opinion of Jason Fitzgerald at overthecap.com. Fitzgerald credited the Pats, who signed Darrelle Revis to “what was essentially a one year Franchise tender,” calling it a “no-brainer” since there is minimal long-term commitment. In summation, Fitzgerald says, the team “went into free agency without a ton of cap space and came back with two upgrades at cornerback without having to part ways with [Vince Wilfork] or get into future cap headaches by restructuring the contract of Logan Mankins or Jerod Mayo.”
  • Fitzgerald was not as complementary of the Jets, however, as they received a C-minus free agency grade. In fairness, despite having ample cap space, the Jets were relatively passive in free agency, opting instead to rely on their 12 draft picks to add depth.

That strategy was the focus of a recent piece by ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini in which he underscored the importance of this year’s draft: “Because of their deliberate approach in free agency — some might say cheap — they have raised the stakes for the upcoming draft. May 8-10 will be the three biggest days of the year for a franchise in Stage 2 of its rebuilding project.”

Cimini also highlighted the stylistic and philosophical difference between GM John Idzik and former GM Mike Tannenbaum:

“Many fans are restless because they are not accustomed to this way of doing business. Under Idzik’s predecessor, Mike Tannenbaum, the Jets owned the New York back pages in March, titillating the fan base with sexy trades and expensive signings.

Tannenbaum knew how to feed the beast, but there was a method to his madness. His research told him they were better off spending the money on proven commodities instead of stockpiling draft choices, figuring the bust rate of draft picks — especially in the late rounds — didn’t validate the risk-reward.”

Idzik, however, patterns his more conservative approach after some of the league’s more successful, draft-driven organizations which emphasize college scouting, player development and re-investment in homegrown talent. Cimini cited one personnel executive who defended Idzik’s approach: “The football offseason is like an event, a circus act, and fans in general want to see something. With John, he takes the air out of the balloon. It’s not exciting, but he does it his way. You have to respect that.” 

Ultimately, Idzik has put the onus squarely squarely on himself to hit big in the draft.

North Notes: Coleman, Vikings, Lions, Steelers

April 11th, 2014 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

After hosting Kurt Coleman for a visit this week, the Vikings offered the free agent safety a contract, but it wasn’t enough to get him to pull the trigger, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Although the two sides may revisit talks at a later time, Coleman appears to still be exploring all his options.

Here are a few more notes from the NFL’s two North divisions, with a focus on pre-draft visits:

  • The Vikings are conducting a private workout today with Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.
  • We know the Lions have real interest in receiver Sammy Watkins, but apparently he’s not the only member of the family drawing attention from the club. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports (via Twitter) that the Lions also had a private workout for Florida defensive back Jaylen Watkins, Sammy’s brother.
  • Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby, Boston College linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis, and Arizona State linebacker Carl Bradford are visiting the Steelers today, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Ravens recently met with Virginia Tech signal-caller Logan Thomas, who has also met with the Bengals, according to Wilson. As Wilson details, in addition to those AFC North teams, Thomas has also worked out for or met with the Patriots, Cardinals, and Texans.

Extra Points: Bush, Dalton, Draft Visits

April 10th, 2014 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints recently matched the Falcons‘ offer sheet for Rafael Bush, and as is the case with many offer sheets, the structure of the deal is a little unusual. There are no signing, workout, or roster bonuses on Bush’s two-year contract, which features base salaries of $1.85MM and $1.95MM, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. $850K of that first-year salary is fully guaranteed and $350K is deferred until March 31, 2015. Wilson adds (via Twitter) that Bush can also earn up to $750K in incentives if he makes the Pro Bowl and grabs a certain number of interceptions in 2015, so the deal can max out at $4.55MM.

Here’s more from across the NFL:

  • Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an in-depth look at Andy Dalton’s contract situation and explores whether or not the Bengals should commit to paying him $15MM per year. Ultimately, Corry suggests that the team would be better off suspending negotiating with its quarterback for now.
  • The Steelers are hosting three players on pre-draft visits today, according to ESPN.com’s Scott Brown (via Twitter): Washington State safety Deone Bucannon, Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier and UCLA linebacker Jordan Zumwalt.
  • Wyoming wide receiver Robert Herron met with the Saints yesterday and today on a pre-draft visit, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Herron reportedly worked out for the Panthers last week.
  • The Redskins are hosting Scott Crichton on a pre-draft visit, according to Rapoport, who notes (via Twitter) that the Oregon State defensive end has already worked out for the Patriots, Falcons, and Panthers.
  • Connecticut edge defender Jesse Joseph is among the players working out for the Eagles today, tweets Aaron Wilson.
  • Bloomsburg defensive end Larry Webster has several more visits on the docket in addition to the ones we heard about last month. Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net tweets that the Eagles, Jets, and Giants will meet with Webster, while the Chargers will work him out.
  • According to Pauline (via Twitter), Patriots offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo worked out Colorado State center Weston Richburg, who is likely to be a second-day pick.

Ravens Links: Clinton-Dix, Rankin, RBs

April 10th, 2014 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

As the Ravens continue to weigh their options for the No. 17 pick, the team recently hosted Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix on a pre-draft visit, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson adds that Clinton-Dix has also visited the Lions and met with the Titans. As Wilson writes, the young safety would be an excellent addition to Baltimore’s secondary, allowing the club to shift Matt Elam over to strong safety. However, considering Clinton-Dix is viewed as arguably the top defensive back in the draft, there are no guarantees he’ll be available when the Ravens pick 17th overall.

Here’s more out of Baltimore:

  • Add Morgan State cornerback Joe Rankin to the list of prospects participating in the Ravens’ local Pro Day, tweets Wilson. Among the other players expected to be in attendance: Wake Forest wideout Michael Campanaro, Towson running back Terrance West, Towson cornerback Jordan Love, and Arkansas fullback Kiero Small.
  • The Ravens’ No. 3 running backs last season totaled just 16 rushing yards on eight carries, and the team is looking to improve on those totals this season, writes Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com. With Ray Rice dealing with legal troubles and Bernard Pierce coming off shoulder surgery, that position will be of extra importance. For now, Justin Forsett is penciled into that No. 3 spot, though there’s still time for the team to add more competition to the roster, either in free agency or the draft.
  • Picking just two spots apart in the draft, the Ravens and Steelers may be targeting similar players, says Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Brown singles out safety Calvin Pryor and offensive tackle Taylor Lewan as prospects who seem to be generating interest from the pair of AFC North rivals.

Pre-Draft Visits: Jaguars, Beckham, Raiders

April 9th, 2014 at 5:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Jaguars have been bringing in a number of notable prospects, including some of the draft’s top quarterbacks. Tomorrow they will add Alabama’s A.J. McCarron, LSU’s Zach Mettenberger, Fresno State’s Derek Carr, and UCF’s Blake Bortles, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter).

Here are some other visits from across the NFL:

  • LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has a visit scheduled with the Bills for Thursday, reports Sirius NFL XM Radio (via Twitter). Beckham met with the 49ers and Steelers earlier this week.
  • Clemson defensive back Bashaud Breeland met with the Raiders on Tuesday, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Breeland has played both safety and cornerback, and has already met with the Bills.
  • Nevada offensive lineman Joel Bitonio had his visit with the Rams today, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch (via Twitter). Thomas writes that Bitonio could be drafted somewhere as high as the late first round.

Draft Notes: Manziel, Matthews, Mettenberger

April 7th, 2014 at 7:31pm CST by Ben Levine

As the NFL Draft quickly approaches, Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review takes a look at five players the Steelers could draft in the first round. The list includes receivers Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin, cornerbacks Darqueze Dennard and Justin Gilbert and defensive lineman Louis Nix. Robinson also brings up Pittsburgh defensive lineman Aaron Donald, but believes that the defender is not a good fit for the Steelers. Pittsburgh has the 15th pick in the first-round of this year’s draft.

Here are some more prospect notes…

  • Johnny Manziel will begin meeting with the Jaguars tomorrow, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Manziel spent that last two days with the Raiders.
  • Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews will visit with the Bills tomorrow, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WGR Sports Radio.
  • While the team will meet with the quarterback, the Titans have no intention of working out Zach Mettenberger, according to Jim Wyatt of Tennessean (via Twitter).
  • University of Tennessee offensive lineman Ja’Wuan James is scheduled to visit the Titans this week, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com.
  • Running back De’Anthony Thomas will visit with the Bears, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • Scouts for the Bills and Saints were at Terrance West‘s pro day, Wilson tweets. The Bengals also met with the Towson running back (via Twitter). West ran for 2295 yards last season.
  • Center Bryan Stork will visit the Saints this week, according to Larry Holder of NOLA.com (via Twitter). The Florida State alumni won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center.
  • Former Boise State defensive tackle Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe met with the Chargers, reports Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (via Twitter). According to Gehlken, the Amsterdam-native is relatively new to the sport.
  • Eagles coach Bob Bicknell worked out Rutgers receivers Quron Pratt and Brandon Coleman, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
  • The Dolphins hosted offensive tackle Garrett Scott, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. The team has already added linemen Shelley Smith, Branden Albert and Jason Fox during free agency.

Draft Notes: Rams, Dolphins, Falcons, QBs

April 7th, 2014 at 11:49am CST by Matt Feminis

Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews is a possibility for the Rams with the no. 2 overall selection, and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch makes the case. Aside from the prospect’s outstanding blocking, competitiveness and durability, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher coached Bruce Matthews, Jake’s father.

In other draft-related fodder…

  • If Rams GM Les Snead opts to trade out of the No. 2 spot, he believes there’s multiple players teams would trade up for and they’re not just quarterbacks. “I actually think there’s more than one player that people would want to move up for,” Snead told Greg A. Bedard of mmqb.si.com. “I just don’t know what they’d want to give to move up,” Snead said. “At the top maybe there’s four or five players who were one step or one notch ahead of the very good, and sometimes a team might say we need to get that guy. You don’t know the value of what people would be willing to give. The fact that there could be multiple teams eyeing one of those guys could drive up the price a little bit.”
  • This year’s crop of quarterback prospects is polarizing, says ESPN’s Mel Kiper in a conversation with ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss: “There are about a dozen quarterbacks that could be starters, and out of those dozen, there are some that argue that all 12 will never be a successful starter. This is a crazy year for quarterbacks. A lot of them. A lot of quantity. How much quality is debatable.”
  • LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger is scheduled to fly to Jacksonville to meet with the Jaguars, tweets NFL Network’s Albert Breer, who says the Raiders, Vikings, Titans and Lions will meet with Mettenberger in Baton Rouge (via Twitter). Coming off a November ACL tear, Mettenberger will throw at LSU’s pro day on Wednesday.
  • The Dolphins, in their quest to find a legitimate right tackle solution, have been linked to Notre Dame’s Zack Martin, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the team also likes a Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield from Michigan, citing a team official. Meanwhile, a story published by Dan Parr at NFL.com quotes anonymous league evaluators who question Lewan’s toughness and physicality.
  • Speaking of offensive linemen, the Falcons are also in need, and Dawson Devitt of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides a primer detailing several OL prospects who could be available at different stages of the draft.
  • The Eagles will work out Canadian offensive tackle prospect Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
  • Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard has pre-draft visits scheduled with the Bengals, Jets and Rams. He has already met with the Steelers, writes Jeff Howe in the Boston Herald.
  • Louisville safety Calvin Pryor is visiting the Steelers today, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter).
  • Towson running back, Terrance West, who shredded I-AA competition with 2,500 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior, has his pro day today. Nearly half the league has shown interest, including the Ravens, Browns, Titans and Cardinals mentioned in a draft diary piece in the Baltimore Sun.

Extra Points: Wheaton, Wilson, Ravens

April 6th, 2014 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

Although the Steelers were prepared to lose WR Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, they did not expect to lose Jerricho Cotchery as well, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gaztte. Although the team replaced Cotchery with the similarly-reliable Lance Moore, Pittsburgh is still looking to add a big-bodied receiver in the draft.

The Steelers, like many teams, would like to draft Texas A&M WR Mike Evans, but Evans’ strong combine performance might have put him out of reach for Pittsburgh, who hold the N0. 15 overall selection. So, even though they are still likely to take a receiver early in the draft–perhaps with that No. 15 pick–the development of second-year player Markus Wheaton will be critical to the Steelers’ offensive success.

Wheaton dazzled in training camp last year but was primarily a special teams contributor during the regular season, appearing in 11 games and catching 6 passes for 64 yards. He will have ample opportunity to show Steelers coaches what he can do this summer, but he will likely have at least one high-ceiling rookie nipping at his heels.

Some more notes from around the league:

  • Mike Wells of ESPN.com examines whether recently-released S Adrian Wilson could be a fit for the Colts. He writes that while GM Ryan Grigson will explore all options, the Colts already have two players in the secondary who could not stay healthy last season–LaRon Landry and Greg Toler–and do not need to add another. Free agent safety Kurt Coleman visited the team last week, and safeties Jimmie Ward and Terrence Brooks are possibilities in the second round of the draft.
  • Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, just as he did yesterday, takes a look at some more impacts of Chris Johnson‘s departure on the Titans, noting that the team is likely to take a running back-by-committee approach.
  • Although inside linebacker has not been discussed as a major position of need for the Ravens after the re-signing of Daryl Smith and the expected emergence of second-year man Arthur Brown, head coach John Harbaugh would like to add one or two inside linebackers to the roster, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. Harbaugh made no mention of Rolando McClain, whose rights the team still holds.
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